Recently, Premier Guide Miami was invited to jointly interview the actor Ben Daniels who currently stars in FOX’s popular television series “The Exorcist.” Mr. Daniels portrays Father Marcus Keane, a Catholic priest battling demons–both religious and secular. We found Mr. Daniels to be exceptionally engaging and insightful and we wanted to share our experiences with PGM readers.
Before we go further, a quick trip down Horror Movie Memory Lane. 1973’s “The Exorcist,” is a screen classic that guaranteed will still send chills up the spine. A demon possesses a young girl and an uncertain Catholic priest named Father Damien Karras battles to free her.
Father Karras suffered from a crisis of faith in the movie. His mother recently died and Karras could not accept that God would not help her. In the television series, Father Keane faces his own crises of faith.
We asked Mr. Daniels if his sexual orientation added or removed anything to his portrayal. Coyly, Mr. Daniels noted that Father Marcus is definitely “not straight” leaving open the possibility of the show exploring that side of his character. Keane, like Father Karras, might have to face this facet of his character head on. The demon of The Exorcist knows how to exploit weaknesses. Mr. Daniels is keenly aware of this and we can’t wait to see how his future performance reflect this.
Throughout the interview, Mr. Daniels mentioned or made several references to concepts that caught our ear. He called portraying Father Keane, “liberating.” He discussed how his character suffered from self-doubt. He stated that Father Keane ought to remain, “unhappy.”
These are all brilliant insights because part of the draw of “The Exorcist” movie is not just the supernatural battle, but the internal battle within the exorcist himself. We will not give away the outcome of Father Karras’s battle but we are extremely excited that Mr. Daniels has a solid grasp of the dominant themes of “The Exorcist.” It’s no mistake that his command of these themes makes his performances as memorable as they are.
It is no wonder why Mr. Daniels was cast. We cannot wait for the next season of, “The Exorcist,” to see how this exceptional actor develops his character further.
The Exorcist was renewed for another season. Stay tuned to FOX for updates.
Daedrian McNaughton and Christopher Ormsby | Premier Guide Miami.